The Trump administration has claimed referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied admission to the U.S. due to “association with suspected members of terror organisations.”
The referee was one of 52 match officials chosen by FIFA for the World Cup. He reported to Miami last weekend… pic.twitter.com/PanYT419Ab
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 10, 2026
After The Athletic contacted the White House for comment on the matter, a senior administration official said: “Upon further inspection by CBP, derogatory information, including association with suspected members of terror organizations, was discovered making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
“The traveler was refused admission and given immigration forms that provide the section of law used to complete an expedited removal under 8235 of the INA. President Trump’s administration will not allow any security threat to enter our country — full stop.”
NEWS NOW:
